Contents Welcome to Fleet News! Welcome to Fleet News...... 1 Dr. William B. Cogar, Executive Director

AROUND THE FLEET Welcome to “Fleet News”! that others may wish to have, an- Radio Call...... 1 nouncements of items sought by Turner Joy Receives Grant...... 2 This is the first edition of the Fleet members, announcements new, monthly electronic News- of new members at both the Fleet HAIL AND FAREWELL letter for Historic Naval Ships and Associate member levels, as Changes at USS Association members. After well as anything else considered Memorial Park...... 3 many years of the very success- of relevance to Members. Changes at Independence ful “Executive Director’s Memo- Please let me know your Seaport Museum...... 4 randum” that my predecessors, thoughts about “Fleet News,” Destroyer Barry Virtual Tour...... 4 Cdr. Jeff Nilsson and Capt. Chan and most importantly, if you Maury Drummond...... 5 Zucker, wrote and distributed for have news that you believe oth- many years, we decided that it ers would benefit from hearing, LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME was time to change the format please pass that information to Gyrocompass...... 5 on the news and happenings me electronically at executive- Decca Radar...... 6 with Fleet and Associate Mem- [email protected]. I will do my LV-112’s Original Wheel...... 6 bers. So many of our Fleet Mem- best to get it out as soon as bers have moved to this kind possible. BOOK REVIEW HIGHLIGHT of communication tool for their A very special thanks goes The Mathews Men: Seven Brothers membership that we thought it to Mr. Matthew Eng of the Naval and the War Against Hitler’s U-Boats... 6 was our time, too. Historical Foundation in Washing- With color images and elec- ton, DC, and to Mr. Mike Miron of tronic links that readers can see Annapolis, MD, for their help in and connect with, the purpose this project. Their efforts could Around the Fleet of the publication is the same as not have been more valuable and it has always been; namely, to on behalf of all HNSA members, distribute the great information THANK YOU!” that Jeff and Chan had done for so long so that HNSA Members Hope you enjoy the new can keep abreast of what is go- HNSA Newsletter, “Fleet News!” ing on. Emphasis will be on an- nouncing changes in leadership Eyes on the Fleet Stay up to date with HNSA news and info Museum ship HMCS Onondaga on personnel, offers of equipment at www.hnsa.org display in Rimouski, Quebec Radio Call HNSA received a message be on the air that weekend and are 76 museum ships registered from RMC (SS) John Hummel, would be very nice if any ship for the year so far. This is a way USN (Ret.) asking if there will could join in. Given that a lot of to get lots of free press from the be any amateur radio events amateur radio operators got their event. on board any of the ships in the training in the Navy, John is invit- HNSA Fleet during the weekend ing them to come aboard. He will For those interested in joining of 4-5 June. HMCS Onondaga in be operating from the USS Becu- in, John can be reached at Rimouski, Province Quebec will na (SS-319) in . There [email protected] PAGE 1 USS Turner Joy Receives Grant

The USS Turner Joy received a healthy grant from the State of Washington toward their efforts to dry-dock the ship.

Story and Image Copyright KING 5 News, 2016

“The USS Turner Joy, docked in Bremerton, will or other state services. Young said the destroyer receive $300,000 from the state’s serves as a breakwater for the supplemental capital budget. The marina, acting as a barrier between funding will go towards repairing the “Rep. Jesse Young, the sailboats in the marina and Puget ship’s . Sound. He said constructing a new The USS Turner Joy was involved R-Gig Harbor, said breakwater to replace the destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin incident during has been estimated as costing $3 the Vietnam War. preserving the million.” It has been renovated into a mu- ship will help tour- seum. The Bremerton-area lawmak- The ultimate goal/fundraising ers who helped secure the funding ism and the safe- effort is $1.4m which will get the ship said money for the project is coming in and out of dry dock and some from the state’s capital budget, used ty of boats in the other work beyond the main hull to pay for construction projects. work. With the State’s grant, they are Rep. Jesse Young, R-Gig Harbor, said Bremerton marina.” approximately half way to their goal. preserving the ship will help tourism Congratulations to Director Jack and the safety of boats in the Bremerton marina. James and the Turner Joy crew. He said the money cannot be used for education

Gorizia (Italian heavy cruiser, 1930-1944) (NHHC Photo # NH 86304)

PAGE 2 Changes at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Bill Tunnell formally retired as Executive Director Park, nineteen of of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in which as Executive Mobile, AL, although he will remain a member of Director. the Historic Naval Ships Association Board of Direc- Doubtless, Bill tors, having served as the organization’s President will remain busy from 2007 to 2009. but hopefully will A graduate from the University of the South in find enjoyable time Sewanee, TN, with a B.A. in History, and additional with his wife Cyn- Studies at the University of South Carolina School thia and their four of Law, Bill has had a long and notable career in the children, seven tourism, marketing and public relations world. He grandchildren, and cats and dogs. spent twenty-four years at the Battleship Memorial Fair Winds, Bill, and Thanks!

Bill Tunnell Leaves a Lasting Legacy A summary of his accompishments: 2011 Named “Honorary Veteran” by South Alabama Veterans Council; 2009 Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Community Leader of the Year; 2002 Alabama Tourism Promoter of the Year, selected by Ala- bama Restaurant Assn. & Alabama Hospitality Assn.; 1999 Citizen of the Year, Chapter 701, Vietnam Vet- erans of America; 1998 - First ever inductee of Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame; 1995 - Awarded Alabama Travel Council’s Award of Excellence; 1985 - Selected for Alabama Mr. Hospitality Award; Past Chairman, Advisory Board, Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel; Vice-President, Mobile Bay Veterans Day Commit- tee, Inc.; Past Vice-Chairman, Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce & Mobile Area Chamber of Com- merce; Secretary/Treasurer, USS ALABAMA Battleship Foundation, Inc.; Past Chairman, Alabama Hospital- ity and Alabama Hotel & Motel Assn.; 8 years in banking; 10 years as Hotel General Manager with Holiday Inn; 4 years Director of Tourism & Special Events, Mobile Convention & Visitors Corporation.

Eyes on the Fleet Visit the Alabama Memorial Park Website at www.ussalabama.com.

MG Janet L. Cobb, USAR Janet L. Cobb Takes the Helm at USS Alabama MG Janet L. Cobb, USAR re- May 1978 from the University of placed Bill as Executive Director Alabama ROTC program, where of the USS Alabama Battleship she was named a Distinguished Commission and Memorial Park Military Graduate. She was one as the organization’s eighth ex- of the last group of women to ecutive director which coincides serve in the Women’s Army with the Park’s 50th anniversary. Corps, which was integrated into General Cobb is a graduate of the Regular Army in 1978. the University of Alabama. She was commissioned a Second Welcome Aboard! Lieutenant in the Army Reserve in

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park

PAGE 3 General Cobb Biography General Cobb has commanded at the detach- ment, battalion, brigade, directorate and one and two-star levels. Her deployments include post-Des- ert Storm operations at the Ports of Al Jubayl and Ab Dammam, Saudi Arabia (1991); Operation Iraqi Freedom port operations, Port of Ash Shuyabah, Kuwait (2002-03); and Director, Central Command development and property management divisions. Deployment & Distribution Operations Center, She is the past Director of Marketing & Public Rela- Camp Arifjan, Kuwait (2011). She was mobilized as tions for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama in Commander of the Army’s active duty 598th Trans- Mobile and is a former radio news director. portation Group (Terminal), the Netherlands (2007), with oversight of military ports in Europe and Africa. General Cobb’s final assignment was as Command- ing General, 81st Regional Support Command, Ft. Jackson, SC, providing base support operations for Army Reserve units and facilities in the nine south- eastern States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. She previously worked at Kaiser Realty in Gulf Shores, Alabama from 2005 – 2015 in the real estate

New Ships Manager at Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum Sean Null has taken over as Historic Ships Man- ager at Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Mu- seum. Sean grew up in Philly and apprenticed in his family’s machine shop at an early age, learning his mechanical abilities. He undertook projects on the side like building traditional cedar strip canoes with his father, restoring antique automobiles, and eventually become foreman and assistant engineer aboard Philadelphia’s Ship Preservation Guild’s Gazela and the Tug Jupiter. With a BS in Environ- mental Biology from Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, PA, Sean has over 15 years’ experience in historic ship preservation, traditional boat building, USS Becuna and USFS Olympia and managing quality assurance in corporate and nonprofit settings. Display Ship Barry Departs WNY; Virtual Tour Announced On Saturday, 7 May 2016, Display Ship Barry departed from the Washington Navy Yard in the nation’s Capitol to the Naval Inactive Ship Mainte- nance Facility in Philadelphia, Pa. to await being dismantled. The ship, which remained a fixture on the DC waterfront, has been pier-side at the Wash- ington Navy Yard for over 30 years. The Forrest Sherman-class destroyer served in the from 1956 until 1982. It became a public attraction the following year. For locals and Navy personnel, the ship served as a place for educa- tional tours, retirement ceremonies, and after hours programs. The Naval Historical Foundation has gratiously developed a virtual tour of Barry to view online free Display Ship Barry transits down the Potomac River (NHF of charge. Barry was recorded for posterity in May Image by Matthew Eng/Released) 2014 by Empire Media.

Click to Go to BARRY VIRTUAL TOUR Page PAGE 4 Long Time Director of USS Kidd, Maury Drummond, Passes Away It is with great sorrow that we must report the passing of former director Maury Drummond. After graduating from Louisiana State University where he played NCAA basketball, he went to play pro- fessional basketball for a short time with the Detroit Pistons. After returning home to Baton Rouge, he taught history at his alma mater of Istrouma High School and coached basketball. Mr. Drummond began volunteering at the USS Kidd in the 1980s, helping to build some of the museum’s earl est exhibits. Volunteer work led to a gubernatorial ap- pointment to the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission which oversees the museum’s “It’s a big loss for operation. Mr. Drum- mond served as chair- the Kidd crew. ... man of the Commission before being asked to He was such an step down and assume the role of Executive important piece Director. During his 22 Drummond also served on the board of directors years as director and his of the puzzle” for both the Baton Rouge Convention & Visitors years of volunteer work Bureau and the Historic Naval Ships Association before that, he led staff Alex Juan (HNSA). He was chairman of the board of HNSA for and volunteers in help- USS Kidd Director two years. He was the recipient of the Old Walrus ing to arrange several award (1993), the Casper J. Knight award (2004), outstanding community events at the USS Kidd. and the William J. Diffley award (2013) from the Among them were: port visits by historic vessels Historic Naval Ships Association. He also received a such as the Elissa, the Golden Hinde, the Nina, and Lifetime Achievement award from the Baton Rouge the HMS Bounty; traveling exhibits from NASA; the Sales & Marketing Association. His 22-year steward- annual Fourth of July Star-Spangled Celebration, ship of this National Historic Landmark was a labor and much more. He also oversaw efforts to acquire of love. The extent of his efforts for the Kidd, edu- an A-7E Corsair jet aircraft for the museum with cation, and tourism are far reaching and he will be which to honor the state’s Vietnam veterans. Mr. greatly missed.

Gyrocompass Paul Cora, Curator at Historic Ships in Balti- more asked HNSA to pass along news that they have an Arma Mark IX Mod 2 Gyrocompass which they are offer- ing to anyone in the HNSA fleet for free (less shipping), if interested. Paul’s contact informa- tion is: 410-382-0200 and pcora@historic- ships.org

PAGE 5 Decca Radar Looking for New Home Mr. Scott Hoggatt is looking for a new home for a 1965 Decca Radar. While he doesn’t know what ship the radar originally belonged to, it has a repair order with the age and model but sadly, not its origin. On the label is: “Display Unit Type 669, Class B It is in excellent shape missing. Mr. Hoggatt He can be reached at Serial No. P 1062.” It and the main picture is trying to find a prop- [email protected] was made by the Decca tube is intact, although er home and doesn’t Radar, Ltd. of England. some of the guts are want anything for it.

LV-112’s Original Wheel Bob Mannino, Pres- the private sector. Any- ident of the Nantucket one who might have a Lightship Museum and clue is asked to contact his team, are search- Bob at: rmmjr2@com- ing for the Nantucket cast.net. Lightship/LV-112’s original wheel from the flying bridge (see attached1959 photo). Missing since or shortly after the LV-112 was de- commissioned in Bos- ton in 1975, it may be with someone from the USCG or an individual in

By Bill Cogar

I have been intro- county in Virginia, this is for you as well as a book duced to a very new an excellent book about that belongs in our Ship publication entitled, The sacrifice that so many museum stores. Mathews Men: Seven in the Merchant Marine Brothers and the War and their families suf- Against Hitler’s U-Boats, fered during World War by William Geroux. II, no matter from where Turn the page for a While the book focuses one hailed. The book is book description of The Click to Purchase on those merchant sea- extremely well write and Mathews Men. men from a small rural I recommend it highly PAGE 6 “Mathews County, Virginia, is a remote outpost nesses to every danger on the Chesapeake Bay with little to offer except zone, in every kind of unspoiled scenery—but it sent an unusually large ship. Some died hor- concentration of sea captains to fight in World War rific deaths. Others II. The Mathews Men tells that heroic story through fought to survive torpe- the experiences of one extraordinary family whose do explosions, flaming seven sons (and their neighbors), U.S. merchant oil slicks, storms, shark mariners all, suddenly found themselves squarely in attacks, mine blasts, the cross-hairs of the U-boats bearing down on the and harrowing lifeboat coastal United States in 1942. odysseys—only to ship From the late 1930s to 1945, virtually all the out again on the next fuel, food and munitions that sustained the Allies boat as soon as they’d in Europe traveled not via the Navy but in mer- returned to safety. chant ships. After Pearl Harbor, those unprotected The Mathews Men ships instantly became the U-boats’ prime targets. shows us the war far And they were easy targets—the Navy lacked the beyond traditional bat- inclination or resources to defend them until the tlefields—often the U.S. beginning of 1943. Hitler was determined that his merchant mariners’ life- U-boats should sink every American ship they could and-death struggles find, sometimes within sight of tourist beaches, took place just off the U.S. coast—but also takes us and to kill as many mariners as possible, in order to to the landing beaches at D-Day and to the Pacif- frighten their shipmates into staying ashore. ic. ‘When final victory is ours,’ General Dwight D. As the war progressed, men from Mathews Eisenhower had predicted, ‘there is no organization sailed the North and South Atlantic, the , that will share its credit more deservedly than the the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, the Indian Merchant Marine.” Here, finally, is the heroic story of Ocean, and even the icy Barents Sea in the Arctic those merchant seamen, recast as the human story Circle, where they braved the dreaded Murmansk of the men from Mathews.’” Run. Through their experiences we have eyewit-

Get the Book Here is a link to the book’s page on the Penguin Designed Digitally by: Random House website. Matthew T. Eng Anyone wishing to order the book, please contact Digital Content Developer George Morris, Associate Director, Sales Naval Historical Foundation [email protected] , direct: 212- 572-2347, fax: 212-572-4961. customer service: www.navyhistory.org 800-733-3000

Historic Naval Ships Association To Support the Preservation of Historic Naval Vessels & To Honor Those Who Serve at Sea

Dr. William B. Cogar Capt. Jerry Hofwolt, Capt. Channing Zucker, Executive Director USN (Ret.) USN (Ret.) USS Bowfin Battleship Cove 626-C Admiral Drive President Treasurer Box 320 Annapolis, MD 21401 Jonathan Williams Patty Everly USS Iowa USS Requin 443-949-8341 Vice-President Past President

ExecutiveDirector@ Lcdr. Sherry Richardson HNSA.org HMCS Sackville Secretary PAGE 7